VERY VERY rarely do they use general for wisdom teeth removal, actually. And if this were true, the patient would be intubated, and therefore would have a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist in care of the patient, where they also monitor how "asleep" the patient is. Thus it is rare that the patient is awake to that extent. I had local anesthetic when I had my wisdom teeth EXTRACTED. I woke up enough to feel them cutting into my gums and pounding out my tooth, but felt no pain because they still anesthetize the area. And if I had local when they were extracted, there's no way the OP would have had general to get them PULLED.

About half of the people I know who have had their wisdom teeth removed (including myself) have gone under general for wisdom teeth extraction, and they never intubated me. From what my dentist told me, they generally do not intubate for wisdom teeth. I'm not sure where you got that information or why you think going under general is rare. It's not the MOST common method, but it's not uncommon either. "Usually, office anesthesia does not involve the use of an intubated tube. The main reason is that patients, although they are asleep and unaware, still are able to breath. When anesthesia is done in a hospital they intubate and make the anesthesia much deeper and the patients do not breath. In the hospital they actually breath for you by expanding your lungs with oxygen. So the office anesthesia does not involve intubation, but you will be asleep and unaware and comfortable."

I was awake for mine being pulled. I was actually out for a few minutes but it was due to them ODing me on painkillers.

Actually it's not that rare to have general anesthesia for wisdom tooth surgery. I had it done and was told by my dentist that all of his patients are highly recommended to do it as well. It's most probably a less deep unconsciousness, since it's not for open heart surgery or anything, but I was definitely knocked out for 2 hours when all 4 of mine were taken out with no intubation.

If you are under general, you are ABSOLUTELY intubated (or they've placed an LMA or a King or whatever they use). You're given Succ, Vec, Roc, or whatever they choose to use, and you are paralyzed. If you're paralyzed, you cannot breath, thus you need them to breath for you. You most likely had local.

depends where you live. I know several people who have had general anaesthetic for their wisdom teeth removals.

Um, there are lots of people out there who have been paralysed from accidents... and they can breathe. Being paralysed doesn't necessarily = not being able to breathe. I think you need to read Flounder's comment. (#37)

They're not talking about being paralyzed from accidents, they're talking about being paralyzed from an anesthetic during surgery. When surgeons use some of the more powerful anesthetics that actually knock you out completely they need to use something (it's like this balloon thing that they squeeze) to keep you breathing and force oxygen into your lungs.

"force oxygen into your lungs"? I really hope you're not a doctor.

LadyMedic hit the nail on the head. This person probably had local and is probably overreacting. Anesthesiologists' top priority is the care and comfort of the patient.

You're paralyzed, you can't move your fingers. It wouldn't be the dentist's fault, either. It's up to the anesthesiologist to determine the right concoction of anaesthetics for you, not the dentist.

Sometimes patients are actually able to move their fingers (I read an article about a patient who woke up and their fingers twitched, which alerted the nurse to the fact they were awake so they were able to turn the anaesthetic up). But you're right, it's not common.